When character is taught...

Will and Ariel Durant once said that before the Grecian Empire died: "There was greater enlightenment than in any time in its history. Education was more widespread, literacy was at an all-time high; but they had long since ceased to teach character; and that's why they died."

Sound like contemporary Western civilization?

Character comes from the Greek charattein which means to engrave. More about that in a moment. Webster has these definitions, among others, for "character": a distinctive trait, behavior typical of a person or group, moral strength.

For the Christian the traits of holiness come to us in premier fashion in the personality and deeds of Jesus. You see them in didactic lists of Scripture like the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-12) or Paul's fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). But I have come to think that one of the greatest methods of teaching character to our children is through the stories of Jesus' life.

At random I opened the Gospels a moment ago and fell upon Mark 6. First paragraph on the page was Jesus sending the Twelve out on a mission. Many character qualities could perhaps be inferred, but one of them is certainly this - Jesus was sent, and He is sending. Hence, we should know we have been sent, and are sending...for the glory of God.

Are we?

On that "engraving" thought...the great Shema passage of Deuteronomy 6 has this line: "...teach them diligently to your sons..." Those words "teaching them diligently" in the NIV is "impress." The Hebrew word is shanan. In the Master Plan of Teaching this is how I explain that word:

Shanan..."occurs only nine times in the Old Testament and only once in the intensive stem of the verb called the Piel. That single time is here in these verses. Shanan is normally translated sharpen. But used in the intensive form, as it is here, shanan has a stronger sense. Related etymologically to the Hebrew word for tooth, it could here mean to "incise, or carve into." Essentially, train your children in the law of God so that their lives are permanently and irrevocably marked by its message."

Character is important, and frequently it starts in the family. But it must reverberate everywhere. For character impacts more than our family, it impacts the word. Impress, therefore, the holiness of Jesus on that world around you...today!